Oops, wrong week

So I wrote the blog on Friday and I've been thinking all along that I'm 27 weeks. Well, I just got my babycenter update email that I'm 26. Oops. Can you tell my brain is mush? I just hope that after this baby comes, I will get my senses about me again. Otherwise, I'm worried for Tad, my job, friends and family. :)

Over halfway!

So this post is catch up from the last SEVEN weeks (wow, times flies). I thought I would be more diligent with blogging because I was so fond of journaling and diaries when I was younger. I guess I lost that itch. :) Or I have more on my plate these days than in high school!

We had the ultrasound at 19 weeks and it showed that the baby was measuring right on target. Awesome! We saw the bladder, the four chambers of the heart, the spine and the legs and arms. It was incredible. I've often told friends who are having ultrasounds "be sure to drink a Coke before so the baby moves around" and of course I forgot this advice so the most we got was a little wave. But it was still very cool to see this kid who has taken over my body. :)

Here are some pics:













The past couple of weeks have been uneventful in terms of the baby besides the kicking and moving becoming more noticeable. That's been my favorite part of the pregnancy so far - it truly is a miracle! And I love that Tad has been able to fill it for the past 5 weeks or so. I think it makes it more real for him besides just seeing my growing belly. The baby is most active in the morning and at night. Tad's mom said that both Tammie and Tad ended up being the most awake during the time they were most active in the womb. Tad and I are hoping for a night-lover because neither of us are morning people! We'll see.

Another important thing to note is that I've had ZERO heartburn. If the wives tail holds true, this means that my kid will have nothing more than some peach fuzz, just like me when I was an infant. (I don't think I had hair until I was 4!). Tad didn't have much either so my dreams of having a baby with a head full of hair are probably hopeless. :)

Tad's parents came over for 2 weeks and completely re-did our house. Not kidding. They painted every room, re-did the hardwoods in the nursery, put in a new threshold in the foyer and helped Tad build a shed for the backyard. They were amazing help and I'm so thankful. There's no telling how many times they went to Sherwin Williams. I bet at least 10. Dad, Tad, Tad's dad and a couple of guys from our small group also cut a bunch of limbs and one tree down in the backyard too. Our hope is to grow some grass back there in the fall! The house looks so much better.

Tomorrow I will be 27 weeks. The thought of only having around 13 weeks to go is crazy. Time has flown by, just like everyone said it would. For the past week I've been trying to research birthing classes and doulas. We still haven't decided if we're going to use a doula, but most likely we will. I figure Tad and I can use all the help we can get with the first one and doing it with no medication.

I go to Intown Midwifery Tuesday and have the glucose test done to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes. I'm going to try to be good and keep my sweet intake to a minimum until then, but of course I'm craving ice cream. I think because it's getting warmer (it's been in the 90's) and anything cool just hits the spot.

The Bivens family is heading down to the beach on the 18th and I couldn't be more excited for a vacation. I've only had one day off since December! The only downside is Tad can't go since he just started at Forest Park. That's a bummer. But regardless, I can't wait to lounge on one of those low beach chairs close to the water with a good book in my hand! I may even buy some O'douls or make some virgin margaritas!

19 weeks!

Jess took this picture of me last Sunday at the Braves game. Today I hit the 19 week mark. Can't believe I'm almost halfway done. Everyone told me it would go by fast and I didn't believe them. Now I do!

Monday I went for my monthly midwife appointment... everything is still going well. I've gained 8 lbs so far (I think giving up desserts for Lent has saved me several pounds!) and the baby's heart rate was around 160. I asked if it's true that girls have higher heart rates but the midwife said she had heard that, but wasn't sure. Like everything else, it depends. My uterus is right below my belly button, which is on track for how far along I am. The midwife even showed Tad how to press down on my belly and feel it. Apparently it feels like a bicep. Strange.

I've started to feel the baby move. Last Wednesday I felt some light poking, but now it's much more apparent. Like little tapping inside of me. I have to be sitting pretty still to notice it, and it's always on my left side. The midwife said that the placenta is on the right and the baby on the left, probably. I kind of forgot that part of pregnancy (feeling the baby inside of you). It calms me. I can't wait for Tad to be able to feel it too! I'm feeling like a million bucks these days. Well, maybe not a million but several hundred thousand. ;) I have a lot more energy, only need around 8 hours of sleep (I still shoot for more!) and minimal puking. (Although I ate Oz last night and threw it all up after I brushed my teeth and gagged -- oops.) The only major symptom left from the first trimester is having to pee a lot during the night. I typically get up anywhere from 2-5 times, even if I stop drinking liquids hours before I go to bed. I can tell my body is going through some changes... everything is loosening up from the progesterone, which make my hips and back sore. I've never been to a chiropractor before but I'm going Monday and I feel like it's a few days before Christmas -- I can't wait! There's also a massage therapist on staff so I'm hoping for a double dose of goodness.

Next Friday at 9:00 I go in for an ultrasound. It will be my first one so Tad and I are stoked to see this kid! Nope, not finding out what we're having (that's always the next thing people ask). If all goes well that day, then we'll get into planning mode. Tad's parents are planning to come in a few weeks to help with the nursery and some house stuff (building a privacy fence, painting the house, re-doing some of the flooring). I'm sure mom and dad will be here too. The thought of all the work exhausts me but I'm excited at the same time.

We were supposed to be in Helen for the weekend and take Lilli and Avery to Cabbage Patchland for their Easter Egg Hunt, but the weather last night was crummy. Instead, Abby and I are going to the Dawsonville outlets to find some maternity clothes. I've worn out the bella band and I want to get some work dresses. Abby will also get to meet Brecken for the first time because we're having lunch with Jess and the little guy. I'm sure it will make Abby have the baby bug again, like she says holding a baby always does!

Baby Busby's birth story...

First things first, I've been a slacker on this blog. I realized when I logged in that I haven't posted since the end of February and it's April 3rd. Time flies when you're pregnant. :P

Since week 11 things have gotten much better, but the sickess and nausea didn't stop at week 12. Not that I was counting on it, but I will admit that by week 14 I was pretty over it. It mostly happened when I let myself get too hungry and if I went to sleep a little hungry, then it was all over when I woke up in the morning. It's funny how your body adjusts. I never thought I would get used to puking almost daily, but I did. Although a couple of weeks ago, I got sick 3 times in a day and by the afternoon I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Tad was working that night so I was home alone with the dogs and down in the dumps, which is a rare for me. I prayed and I was reminded through the prayer that I am creating a life inside of me, and that my body is now being shared. Needless to say, I sucked it up, went to bed and haven't felt sorry for myself since. :)

I always thought to myself that I would keep a baby book up to date, remember the important milestones of a baby but I'm already slacking... and I'm not only talking about the blog. I have yet to take a profile baby bump pic. I remember looking at Jess' and thinking they were so cute, but I also realized my bathroom mirror is too high to get a shot and the full length mirror that I have is narrow. I need Tad's help with it but I never think about it until I'm alone in the house. The bump is there, and I love it. I joked to Tad the other day that I love being pregnant because I don't have to worry about sitting up straight and sucking in. Lol. Not that I sucked in constantly but it's very freeing to have this belly out there and it not be an unhealthy thing. I find myself wearing tight shirts around the midsection just so I can see it when I look down. I'm sure before long that won't be a problem at all! I still think that people at work just think I've packed on some pounds, but I've started to tell some of my hiring managers. Most are men, but they still seem very happy for me and ask a bunch of questions. I just love the people I work with.

Lindsay Merriman Lewis had her baby, Leyton Knox, on the 1st. As Jess said, "two down and one to go". We're already talking about all the fun we're gonna have camping with the little ones next year. I'm so happy that we all took the dive into motherhood around the same time, and that our kids will be friends. They'll have us beat since we didn't meet until the 6th grade!

Also, I'm still so happy that I chose Intown Midwifery. I met a girl, Shaneen (a friend of Mandy's), who was seeing them and I found out through facebook that she had her baby a couple of weeks ago. Come to find out, she has a blog and I just read the birthing story and saw pictures of the baby and family. Anjli (one of the midwives) was in some of them and the joy on her face brought tears to my eyes. You can tell she's doing her life's calling. I have thought since first pregnant that I hope I get Margaret to birth the baby because she's the most experienced, but after seeing those pics, I almost want Anjli. Shaneen's blog gave me an honest look at natural birth. I know it will not be easy, but I've stuck to my guns about it. There are a couple of reasons I don't want an epidural: I've anxious to see what my body was made to do, I think it's safest for the baby and me, and the recovery time will be easier. Now, after reading Shaneen's birthing story, I have another. The doula told her, "You didn’t do this so you could wear a badge on your arm for having an un-medicated birth, you did this so you could give your daughter the best gift of all: to let her write her own birth story. You let the mystery unfold on its own." Wow, well said. Decisions surrounding bringing a baby into the world are very personal, but I love the thought of things happening in the baby's own time. Although this is not something I can plan for because a lot can happen as I get closer to full term, I pray that the baby will be able to choose when it's ready to come into this world. And as a side note, I am so glad to have Tad be my partner in all this and be supportive of my decision of doing it naturally. I know it will be hard for him to see me in that much pain. Hopefully I don't break his hand or throw ice at him. :) [Tad, I love you so much!]

So I was 17 weeks yesterday, or Monday, depending on who's counting. The baby is the size of a turnip this week. Its skeleton is changing form cartilage to bone and sweat glands are starting to develop. Ahh, the miracle of life. It's crazy to think that we could find out the sex now if we wanted to... but I think it will be worth the surprise!

Honeymooning!

I've hit the 12 week mark! Halleluyah!

I haven't thrown up since Wednesday or felt too nauseous the past week so I'm hoping things are on the upswing and I'll start to get my appetite and energy back (so Tad can have his wife back, haha). Here's the recap of the past week:

Week 11: I've needed less sleep, which is encouraging. Still bouts of nausea but they're typically when my stomach is empty (so it's my own fault). I still can't let go of my morning Luna bar in bed before I get up - it seems to help and I'm afraid if I stop I will pay for it. I know ahead of time when I'm going to be sick so I'm thankful it's not sudden urges. Because my stomach is empty, there's not much to throw up so I just let it happen because I know I'll feel better afterwards. I've been lucky to have all the public restrooms to myself when I do get sick though and I've found I can pretty much throw up anywhere - Walgreens, Buckhead Church, the office, etc. The time has flown by though... I remember thinking "how am I ever going to make it through 6 weeks of this?"

Week 12: I'm really hoping for the next post I will be able to say - all symptoms gone. I have entered the baby honeymoon phase!!! :)

The baby bump is DEFINITELY there and I'm in love with the belly band, minus it being a little bumpy when I wear certain pants and the fact I can't clip my pedometer on my pocket because the band covers it up (read: dork). I'm going to use it as long as I can instead of buying maternity clothes. I would imagine when the warmer temps hit it will be cooler to just put on dresses than wear all the layers - belly band, camisole, shirt, etc.

We both have started to tell more people in the past week. One, because I was so close to the 12 week mark and two, because of the people we've been around. Let me explain... I found out last Sunday that Dustin Thompson passed away. He's Corey's brother and Aaron's cousin. I pretty much spent more time with these two guys and the Hawkins/Thompson family from '98 through my sophomore year of college than anyone else so this news was shocking. Dustin worked for Riverdale Fire so he and Tad had been talking a lot about getting Tad on there. Tad even saw him at the firehouse the week before. It shook both Tad and me to the core and I wanted to take every opportunity I could to be with the family, because they really are like family to me. I also knew I wanted to tell all of them about the pregnancy because it would be a tiny piece of happiness in this otherwise really sad time. Dustin and Corey's mom, Sandy, even put a note on facebook - "Bright spots in my darkness. News of new life beginning. Amazing women who will be amazing mothers." I just love them so much and I'm thankful they included us in all of their family time. Tad and I were really lucky to spend time with them after the funeral at Grandmother and Bru's then go to Corey and Kim's. Last night I went down to Aaron and Corey's Uncle Jody's for dinner and games. It was good to see Aaron (he flew in from Cali) and Tad and I are hoping to make it to LA for his wedding next month. Here's a picture of Dustin. I still cry every time I see pics of him and my heart still hurts, but I know I will see that smile again one day!

Brecken

I forgot to mention in my last post that Brecken Thomas Conrey was born on February 5th. :) We were at the cabin with small group but went by to see Jess, Wayne and baby Brecken (also bb, haha) on the way home. I think this was the first emotional pregnancy moment because I cried as soon as I started holding him and then again when Tad held him and he broke out into this huge grin. He's just so beautiful and I can't believe that he belongs to Jessica!

I went up there again a couple of Wednesday nights ago and spent the night. It was a real treat to get to love on him all Thursday while I worked from their house. He's the best baby and I'm praying bb is just as good! Wouldn't Tad and I be lucky!

Here's a pic of him. I was on pacifier duty while Jess napped, but who needs a pacy when he's so happy he's smiling in his sleep? Love, love, love him!

Hearts Day

I'm been a slacker so far in February with the blog, but I feel like I've truly been in survivor mode with the nausea, fatigue and throwing up. Like I said before, Tad is AMAZING and has really been my rock. Thank God the man loves me like the church and doesn't mind a little lot of housework.



Jenny said she wished she had kept a little log of symptoms to know if the pregnancy was the same for each of her kids so here's a quick recap of what I've felt:



Week 9: Hardest week to date in a lot of ways. The nausea wasn't constant, but I threw up more. It was sudden waves of nausea when I let myself get too hungry and then tried to eat something too late. Didn't work well. I'm not sure I'll be eating collard greens for a while. That burned coming up. Sorry, TMI. The fatigue was also at a high. There were a couple of nights I went to bed at 7 or 8 o'clock and still didn't feel rested when my alarm went off at 6:15 AM (so I would snooze until 7:00). My friend Jamie (Myle's wife) said she tried to explain to him that it was a tired she had never felt before. I couldn't agree more. She also said that getting up with Jude at all hours of the night still doesn't compare to the fatigue she felt during the first trimester. THERE'S HOPE! ;)



Week 10: I pretty much slept the weekend away, even though it was 60 and sunny outside and I could've used a dose of vitamin D. I did go to a wine party (and faked it really well, if I do say so myself) and then to Married Life Live at Buckhead Church with some of our small group and the Peeks. Tad wanted to get a drink afterwards with friends since he passed his EMT practical, but thankfully Jenny took me home and we both fell asleep on the couch watching The Office. I'm glad I have another worn out pregnant companion. :) As far as symptoms, the nausea has gotten better, but I'm not sure if it's because I figured out how to keep it under control or if it's going away. I'm hoping for the latter. Sunday I went to Target to buy a bella band and then went to the grocery store, and I remember thinking wow, what a big deal - I really have been avoiding the public, except work people and small group. Of course, I threw up when I got home because I was out too long without eating. :)



So this blog is not a pity me party even though I felt like all I've got to tell of the pregnancy so far is a positive pee stick and the terrible side effects... but there is good news! We had our second midwife visit yesterday. This time we met with Anjli and we loved her just as much as Margaret! How lucky are we to instantly fall in love with the people delivering this baby? I feel like it's such a blessing, and that the birthing experience will be so much better because one of them will be a part of it.



This appointment was a little more invasive than the last, but I was thankful for that because I wanted all the confirmation I could get! First she did a general physical exam and then she took a look at my cervix. She said, "It's the color of pregnancy -- a bluish tint." Who knew the thing changed colors? God didn't miss any details, that's for sure. Then she felt it and said it was the right size for 9.5 - 10 weeks along. (I was 10 weeks on Saturday.) It felt good to know my body was doing the right things to support the baby.



But the most exciting part of the visit was that we heard the heartbeat and it was the best V Day gift EVER! I was a little worried it was still too early, but she found it pretty quickly and it was 150-160 bpm which she said is good! We recorded it and have been listening to it a lot like little giddy kids. It was very exciting! She said the chances of miscarriage after hearing a heartbeat go down to about 3%. Music to my ears!







Tad was hoping to tell folks after hearing the heartbeat, but I'm still holding on to the 12 week mark. It's just what you do, right? I know my parents and Tad's parents are really eager, but I told them both that's the deal with finding out first, you gotta wait the longest to spread the news.

Here's to a fast two weeks!